BCA, which is due close its doors for good this summer, had an overall unauthorised absence rate of 4.8 per cent in the 2016/17 school year.

That rate was significantly higher than the school with the second-worst record in Bath and North East Somerset, Broadlands Academy, where children missed 3.8 per cent of half-days without good reason.

Bath Community Academy had the highest rate of unauthorised pupil absences

In all, some 269 pupils at Bath Community Academy missed a combined total of 4,022 half-days last year through unauthorised absence. Some 291 of those were unauthorised holidays.

The Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) – the trust which runs the academy – plans to shut the school in July following a steep decline in enrolled student numbers.

Among other B&NES schools with the worst unauthorised absence rates were St Michael’s C of E Junior School and Ikb Academy, both with 2.5 per cent, and St Mark’s C of E School, at 2.3 per cent.

Bath Studio School had the worst attendance rate when authorised absences were included in the total

Only one school in Bath and North East Somerset had no unauthorised absences at all during the school year. That was the Widcombe Infants School.

However, when all absences were taken into account - both unauthorised and authorised - Bath Community Academy was no longer the worst offender.

The Bath Studio School, which was criticised by the education watchdog in January for not doing enough to improve after its last Ofsted inspection, had the worst record for overall absences last year.

Twerton Infant School has turned its attendance rates around (Image: Paul Gillis)

A total of 15.7 per cent of half-days at the school were missed overall, or nearly one in six.

Bath Community Academy was the second worst school for overall absences in the 2016/17 school year, with a rate of 10.4 per cent, and was followed by Broadlands Academy with 8.6 per cent and St Mark's CofE School at 8.1 per cent.

Absences can be authorised for a number of reasons, most commonly illness or doctor’s or dentist’s appointments.

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The Bath Chronicle contacted every school in the list for comment, but only the headteacher of Twerton Infant School responded.

The school had an overall absence rate of 7.2 per cent last year and an unauthorised absence rate of 2 per cent.

Twerton Infant School headteacher George Samios

But with some "incredibly hard" work the infant school in Twerton has managed to turn this around, getting close to 100 per cent attendance so far this year.

Headteacher George Samios said attendance in the school is now the best its ever been, at 94.9 per cent for the first four terms of the 2017/18 academic year.

"We work incredibly hard to promote attendance at Twerton Infant School," Mr Samios said. "Every three weeks I personally conduct a review of attendance and any child with low attendance is flagged up and we engage parents of those children.

"The attendance of those children inevitably improves."

Time Line

The 10 worst Bath schools for unauthorised pupil absences

Bath Community Academy

4.8 per cent (proportion of half-days missed without permission in the 2016/17 school year )

Broadlands Academy

3.8 per cent

St Michael's CofE Junior School

2.5 per cent

Ikb Academy

2.5 per cent

St Mark's CofE School

2.3 per cent

Twerton Infant School

2 per cent

St Martin's Garden Primary School

1.6 per cent

Roundhill Primary School

1.5 per cent

Ralph Allen School

1.5 per cent

The Bath Studio School

1.4 per cent

Mr Samios said the school celebrates attendance each term in assemblies and award certificates to children with the best attendance.

Children are awarded bronze if they make at least 95 per cent of classes, silver for getting to at least 97 per cent and gold for full attendance. The school recognised the good attendance of 77 pupils last Friday (March 23).

Mr Samios said the Children Missing Education Service at B&NES Council has recognised the school's systems for monitoring and promoting attendance as exemplary in the primary sector.

Time Line

The 10 worst Bath schools for all pupil absences last year

The Bath Studio School

15.7 per cent (proportion of all half-days missed, authorised and unauthorised, in the 2016/17 school year )

St Martin's Garden Primary School

Mendip Studio School

Roundhill Primary School

Being an infant school, its attendance is affected by genuine illness, such as chickenpox, related to the developing immunity of young children, he added.

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